Interested to get people's thoughts on our match this Saturday night vs the Pies.

Despite the fact it's a NAB cupper should be a good test of where were at against the best in the business. 

• Who are you looking forward to keeping a close eye on  (eg Sellar on Cloke?)

• Will Collingwood play close to a full strength side excluding Didak, Krakouer and Johnson?

• Are we any realistic chance of winning and if so what would it mean at this stage of the season?

• Will the Etihad hoodoo continue?

• Will our new structures allow us to finally be up to the challenge of competing against a side with a good forward press.

I'll be going to the game and am really looking forward to it. Hope to see lots of Dees fans there and hope it makes for a good atmosphere.

Just no injuries will do me.

Interested to get people's thoughts on our match this Saturday night vs the Pies. Despite the fact it's a NAB cupper should be a good test of where were at against the best in the business.

- Who are you looking forward to keeping a close eye on (eg sellar on cloke?)

- Will Collingwood play close to a full strength side excluding Didak, krakoeur and Johnson?

- Are we any realistic chance of winning and if so what would it mean at this stage of the season?

- Will the etihad hoodoo continue?

- Will our new structures allow us to finally be up to the challenge of competing against a side with a good forward press.

I'll be going to the game and am really looking forward to it. Hope to see lots of dees fans there and hope it makes for a good atmosphere.

Couple of things; I don't think that they are the best in the business at this stage, they struggled against GWS and that would never have happened under Malthouse. They have a new coach and they have lost quite a few of their senior support coaches so there may not be the same level of expertise down there now.

With regard to the Etihad hoodoo I was over the moon last year when we won twice in Adelaide pre season and we all know how the year turned out.

Having said that I hope we win and I hope we get a better idea this week about how we will be playing this year; we couldn't have a more contrasting game to last week, under cover instead of outside in a tropical storm.

Just got back from OS and was surprised our new captain (well one of them) Trengove didn't front up in the first round. Is he likely to play ths week or has he suffered an injury of some sort? Also looking for Tapscott and Blease to front up this week and any chance of Jurrah?

Not concerned about the stupid NAB Cup!

But Im thinking there will only be a couple of goals in this one either way. I would really like too see us improve with our structure and skill level when we are within the middle of the ground and our Forward 50. Decision making is paramount! Turnovers in this part of the ground kill us...

The unfortunate thing for me about the bank cup is that you can't really take anything from it because the teams aren't putting in any real effort, so any pros or cons of performances are moot in a way. No injuries is the priority and giving new recruits some time on the field is the bonus for me.

The more I reflect on the last two week's NAB cup matches the more I am convinced that clubs are using them as extended intraclub games. They practice certain things such a positioning, discipline, set-up at specific points of the ground. The Dees hugged the boundary line last weekend and I am beginning to think this was a discipline and structure test. Could they follow this instruction for a whole game? They also bombed it mercileesly into the forward 50 - did the forward players do as instructed?

So I hope they practice three things against the Colliwobblers:

How to bring the ball out of our defensive 50 if Pies employ the full press

How to spread from a contest without leaving us exposed to the one over the back if we turn it over

Our skills at full pace.

Apart from this - no more injuries, please!!!

The more I reflect on the last two week's NAB cup matches the more I am convinced that clubs are using them as extended intraclub games. They practice certain things such a positioning, discipline, set-up at specific points of the ground. The Dees hugged the boundary line last weekend and I am beginning to think this was a discipline and structure test. Could they follow this instruction for a whole game? They also bombed it mercileesly into the forward 50 - did the forward players do as instructed?

So I hope they practice three things against the Colliwobblers:

How to bring the ball out of our defensive 50 if Pies employ the full press

How to spread from a contest without leaving us exposed to the one over the back if we turn it over

Our skills at full pace.

Apart from this - no more injuries, please!!!

I saw nothing of last weekend's games ( I was in NZ )

But from what i have gleamed we are trying to play the Collingwood style game plan.

That being the case and as our injuries mount I cannot see us being better at the Collingwood game plan than Collingwood.

They have a far better group of players who have had years to get it right.

Mate I feel a belting is in the wind.

And that will not help membership numbers one little bit.

Looks like Mitch Clarke and Bartran also arn't playing.

I am suprised Clarke isn't playing as his chemistry with the other forwards would be something I would think needs practice.

wouldn't mind seeing watts play deep forward with clark being out would be good to see and looking forward to seeing Lucas cook and eventual dual brownlow medallist sam blease (Wins his second brownlow equal with Jack Viney).

Here is the squad;

Melbourne squad

2 Nathan Jones

4 Jack Watts

5 Jordan Gysberts

6 Matthew Bate

7 Jamie Bennell

8 James Frawley

12 Colin Sylvia

14 Lynden Dunn

15 Ricky Petterd

17 Sam Blease

18 Brad Green

20 Colin Garland

21 Lucas Cook

25 Tom McDonald

26 Daniel Nicholson

28 Joel Macdonald

30 James Sellar

34 Stefan Martin

36 Aaron Davey

38 Jeremy Howe

40 Mark Jamar

41 Troy Davis

44 Rohan Bail

45 Kelvin Lawrence

46 Josh Tynan

47 Tom Couch

48 Jack Fitzpatrick

49 James Magner

50 Jai Sheahan

Ins; Blease, Cook, Davis, Lawrence, Sheehan

Outs; Clark, Grimes, Bartram, Moloney, Rivers and joel Mac (although he is listed in the squad?)

I saw nothing of last weekend's games ( I was in NZ )

But from what i have gleamed we are trying to play the Collingwood style game plan.

That being the case and as our injuries mount I cannot see us being better at the Collingwood game plan than Collingwood.

They have a far better group of players who have had years to get it right.

Mate I feel a belting is in the wind.

And that will not help membership numbers one little bit.

Some nice cautious optimism?

If you didn't watch it and relied on others you will have got at least 50 different variations on the game last week, we are playing Mark Neeld's game plan whatever that may be.

I agree with other poster, we seem to have adopted we will practice this in this game, focus last week was on structure, second and third efforts, discipline and winning the clearances (which we did)

Will watch this Saturday live with interest, don't really care about the result coz it doesn't matter

Here is the squad;

I think it's 22 and then 4 can swap in at half-time so that makes 26 - that list has 29 so 3 won't play.

Captain from Jones, Frawley, Garland and Jamar?

With the players out I would like us to line up

Martin Watts Green

Howe McDonald Petterd

Blease Sylvia Bate

Tynan Sellar Davis

Garland Frawley Bennell

Jamar Jones Magner

Bail Gysberts

Sub Fitzpatrick Couch

For 2nd half rest Jamar, Watts, Jones, Frawley

In Cook, Nicholson, Sheehan, Dunn

Edited March 1, 201213 yr by drdrake

I think it's 22 and then 4 can swap in at half-time so that makes 26 - that list has 29 so 3 won't play.

Captain from Jones, Frawley, Garland and Jamar?

I think its 6 that can swap at half time so that would make it 28 if correct with Joel Mac being rested

Would love to see Martin & Fitzpatrick ruck the game, have a forward line of;

HF Howe Watts Sylvia

F Cook Jamar Lawrence

Then at half time see Sheehan replace Cook.

Would like to see Blease and Sylvia rotate through the midfield. With the opening bounce seeing Martin, Blease, Magner and Bate in it. Bate to tag Swan.

Back half basically picks itself each week.

Some nice cautious optimism?

If you didn't watch it and relied on others you will have got at least 50 different variations on the game last week, we are playing Mark Neeld's game plan whatever that may be.

I agree with other poster, we seem to have adopted we will practice this in this game, focus last week was on structure, second and third efforts, discipline and winning the clearances (which we did)

Will watch this Saturday live with interest, don't really care about the result coz it doesn't matter

i think the result does matter

A belting will not be good for 2 reasons.

-does nothing for the confidence of players going forward and also shows they cannot implement the game plan.

- Will have a negative impact on people buying memberships, unfortunately the MFC needs to look to have improved.

For game 2 rest Jamar, Watts, Jones, Frawley

In Cook, Nicholson, Sheehan, Dunn

Ummm...

Ummm...

You need to take this game for what it is a pre season match, Watts, Jones and Frawley played both games last week and Jamar 3 qtrs, give them a half this week and then 2 full games leading into the season. The other alternative is play them for full games and rest them next week, I would rather see us at full strength against Hawthorn and in week 4 fine tuning these players for round 1 and I have fixed the game 2 to second half

Edited March 1, 201213 yr by drdrake

I think its 6 that can swap at half time so that would make it 28 if correct with Joel Mac being rested

You think wrong

http://www.nfl.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1060:2012-nab-cup-launched&catid=47:league-news&Itemid=203

1. Interchange system with two interchange and two substitute players on the bench (will not be used in the final week of the NAB Cup)

The AFL will trial the use of two substitute players on the interchange. It has already been determined that the 3 interchange and 1 substitute player will remain in place for 2012 Premiership Season. In rounds two and three when teams are playing four quarter matches, four new players may be introduced for the second half of each game.

i think the result does matter

A belting will not be good for 2 reasons.

-does nothing for the confidence of players going forward and also shows they cannot implement the game plan.

- Will have a negative impact on people buying memberships, unfortunately the MFC needs to look to have improved.

The majority of people that are tossing up whether to buy a membership don't give a crap about how we are travelling in the NAB cup.

Unless, we are in the news because we walloped Collingwood, they won't even hear about it.

Im lookin forward to seeing our team in melbourne again. From the list even know we have lots of good players out it still look solid IMO i think we are starting to build a solid list it just needs more games together and this team will get there with the right direction from mark neeld.

You think wrong

http://www.nfl.org.a...news&Itemid=203

I stand corrected

The majority of people that are tossing up whether to buy a membership don't give a crap about how we are travelling in the NAB cup.

Unless, we are in the news because we walloped Collingwood, they won't even hear about it.

I think you are wrong rpfc.

IMO there is a group that decides on buying a membership based on if they think we will have a good year or not.

Early season form is very important, we finished 2011 in the pits, only victories or at least good showings will change a sizeable group's attitude.

My reaction on hearing we lost to GCS was "hell we cannot beat them"

If a rusted on member like me thinks that what does someone of lesser commitment think?